The Unwelcomed Houseguest
by drwhofangirl591
Summary: Belle befriends a stray cat to Gold's disapproval.


**Summary: Belle befriends a stray cat to Gold's disapproval. **

**A/N: This was a random story thought up by me and my sister. It probably makes no sense but the idea of Gold dealing with a cat was too good to pass up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but three cats and an obsession for OUAT.**

"You know what we need? A pet," Belle announced one morning. "Something to keep me company while you're at work."

Mr. Gold rolled his eyes at her as he sipped his coffee. They had had this conversation before and his answer was always a resolute no. Today would be no different.

Belle leaned across the table and grasped his hand. "Please Rum! You said you like dogs, you might enjoy having one of your own," she pleaded.

"Belle, sweetheart, there is no way we can have a dog. They're more work than you think and there's not enough space here for a dog to be happy," he argued. Belle knew these were valid points but it didn't stop her from pressing the matter further.

"What about a cat? They practically take care of themselves and they don't need much room." Belle continued as she cleared the dishes from the table.

"No. I do not want a cat in my house." Gold stated firmly. "They shed on everything and tear up the furniture." Belle frowned at him; it was one excuse after another. "I'm sorry Belle. I don't mean to keep you locked away by yourself, but you're still adjusting to this world and right now my home is the safest place for you. I have to go. I'll be back this afternoon to check on you okay?" She nodded as he pressed a kiss to her forehead then left for work.

It was a beautiful spring day so Belle decided to take her book and read on the patio behind the house. The fence around the small yard was high enough that no one could see over it which meant plenty of privacy. She pulled one of the lawn chairs into the sunniest spot she could find and made herself comfortable. The warm sunlight made Belle drowsy as she read and before long she was dozing with her book spread open across her stomach. She had been asleep for only a few minutes when a soft mewing roused her from her nap. Looking around the garden Belle spotted the source of the noise- a lanky golden cat walking precariously along the top of the fence.

"Hello there!" Belle greeted her visitor cheerfully, abandoning her chair to get closer. "Where did you come from?" With a bit of encouragement the cat jumped down and cautiously approached her. Belle crouched down, holding out her hand which he sniffed thoroughly before rubbing his head against her knuckles. Belle inspected the cat as she stroked him. He wore no collar and looked to be a stray judging by how scrawny he was. "I'll bet you're hungry aren't you? Let me see if I can find something for you to eat." She ran into the kitchen and quickly gave the pantry a once over. Nothing jumped out at her that would be suitable for a cat. Next she checked the refrigerator and found the last few slices of deli meat in one of the drawers. Perfect. Taking the slices, Belle broke them up into smaller pieces and put them on a saucer. When she went back outside the cat was waiting patiently by the door.

"Here you go. I hope you like it." The cat all but pounced on the plate as she set it down, devouring the meat in a few bites. "I guess you were hungry."

Feeding her new feline friend had become part of Belle's daily routine. He showed up around the same time every day, sitting outside on the patio eagerly awaiting his meal. Belle had decided to keep the cat a secret from Rumple, but it was difficult to keep finding things to feed him since she wasn't able to buy cat food. She had to resort to using their left-overs. The cat wasn't picky though, he happily ate whatever she gave him.

Since the cat's arrival Belle had become less melancholy and some days Gold could've sworn the she was almost eager for him to leave. He noticed that she was much more cheerful than she had been over a week ago but when Gold mentioned her mood she became cagey and avoided his eye which piqued his suspicion. He knew that she was up to something when the left-overs began to disappear quicker than usual. At first he thought Belle was snacking on them while he was gone so he didn't question it right away. It was when his lunch had vanished that he became annoyed.

"Belle, where did the grilled chicken go?" he asked as calmly as he could, not wanting to arouse her suspicion. She was lounging on the sofa in the sitting room adjoining the kitchen, her nose buried in a book. Without looking up at him she replied, "I ate it."

"When?" Gold inquired. He walked over and snatched the book from her hands.

Belle scowled at him as she reached for the book which he dangled just beyond her hand. "Why does it matter?" she asked defensively. Belle leapt up from the sofa hoping to catch hold of the book, her fingers just missing the tome as he stashed it behind his back.

Gold took a step away from her, "Call me curious."

"Very well, Curious, I ate it yesterday," Belle fibbed. "Now can I have that back?"

He relinquished the book with a smug grin. He'd caught her, "Hmm. Not sure how that's possible since we had it for dinner _last night_."

"What?" Belle sputtered.

"As a matter of fact I've noticed several other meals have gone missing as well; care to explain where all our food has mysteriously disappeared to?" Belle stood biting her lip trying to think up some plausible excuse but before she could answer a piercing yowl came from the back door. Both Gold and Belle jumped at the unusual cry.

"What the hell was that?" Gold growled. Belle knew exactly what it was and she couldn't stop Gold from making his way over to the door and spotting the yellow feline sitting at the bottom of the steps. "What is this doing here?" He didn't wait for her to respond, he already knew the answer. It had taken him seconds to put it all together. "You've been feeding it haven't you?"

The truth was out so there was no point in denying it. "What if I have?" she asked defiantly.

"I told you we can't have a pet and I certainly don't want stray cats hanging around my house. Now that you've fed it, it'll never leave." Gold glared down at the cat as it meowed again. "Where did it come from?"

"_He_ climbed over the fence when I was outside reading. He looked half-starved so of course I fed him."

"He looks well fed now. Get rid of him."

"You just said he probably won't leave. How am I supposed to make him go?" Belle was staring apologetically out the window at her little friend.

"Simple. Stop feeding him. He'll take the hint and go begging elsewhere."

"What if that doesn't work?" Belle wondered aloud as Gold all but dragged her from the kitchen all the way into the front room. "Then I will have to be more persuasive won't I?" He waved a hand in the air implying a magical solution.

Belle gasped, "Rumplestiltskin don't you dare! He's done nothing to you."

"Except eat my lunch," he mumbled. Gold directed Belle into one of the arm chairs then took to his own. The cat could still be heard crying at the back door even from this distance. "Just ignore it Belle." He picked up the newspaper and began flipping through it. Belle tried to ignore the cat as she opened her book, but she could not keep from worrying about the feline waiting for its meal. She spent several minutes staring blankly at the pages in front of her before giving up. The cat let out another pathetic wail. Belle glanced over to Gold who seemed to be too engulfed in the paper to notice her. She carefully got up from the chair and started to tip-toe toward the kitchen.

"Sit." He didn't need to look up from his paper to know what she was up to. Belle groaned but did as he said, choosing to flop down on the loveseat with a loud sigh. "You brought this on yourself," Gold teased from behind his paper.

The cat had taken to meowing at regular intervals and each time it cried Belle fidgeted in her seat.

*Mew*

"Oh," she whined leaping off of the sofa to pace around the room. "This is cruelty you know."

"Uh huh," he replied.

*Mew*

Belle stared anxiously in the direction of the kitchen desperately trying to think of an excuse to leave the living room. She started for the hallway again.

*Mew*

"Going somewhere?" Gold asked as he folded the paper.

Belle averted her eyes, "Um… Upstairs to get my… cellphone."

Gold got up and walked across the room to stand between Belle and the entryway. "Darling, you are a terrible liar," he announced with a slight smirk.

*Mew*

Belle glared at Gold. All she wanted to do was care for a poor defenseless creature and the man she loved was standing in her way. "Listen to him Rum, he sounds so sad."

Gold wrapped his arm around her and led her back to the sofa where they both sat. "I'm sure he'll stop soon." Then, as if by magic, the meowing suddenly ceased and all was quiet. "There. What did I tell you? He must have gotten tired of waiting."

The silence was short lived as the pitiful crying turning into a continuous obnoxious screeching.

Gold whipped around to scowl in the direction of the racket. Belle didn't know whether to laugh at Gold or feel sorry for the cat. They sat for several minutes, Belle fretting all the while, waiting for the cat to stop but it soon became evident that that was not going to happen.

The deranged cat was getting on Gold's last nerve and Belle was practically in tears from being forced to sit idly by. He turned to Belle, "Had enough?"

She eagerly nodded but then shot him a puzzled look.

He sighed wearily, "Go feed him." Belle broke into an impossibly wide grin. "Thank you!" she squealed. She abruptly grabbed Gold by the tie jerking him forward to kiss him fiercely.

"Alright, alright, before I change my mind." He chided playfully as she released him. Gold watched as she bounded from the room. He slowly got up and followed her to the kitchen. As he came down the hall he could already hear Belle rummaging in the refrigerator for the left-overs she had hidden away, then the creak of the patio door as she stepped out.

"I am so sorry." Belle said softly to the now content cat.

Gold frowned at her, "Are you apologizing to him?"

Belle stepped back into the house, closing the door behind her. "Well you certainly weren't going to."

In order to avoid another temper tantrum from the pesky feline, Mr. Gold had given in and allowed Belle to continue feeding him but warned her not to get attached to the animal. The cat had been coming around for two weeks and seemed to have no intention of leaving to Gold's displeasure.

The lovely spring weather was replaced by a week of rainstorms. Gold came home early one particularly nasty day choosing to close the shop and come home to spend time with Belle. He was looking forward to relaxing with a nice cup of tea and chatting with his beloved in front of the fireplace. As quickly as he could Gold mounted the steps to his house shaking the raindrops from his coat once he was on the porch. The wind made it impossible to use an umbrella so even on the short walk from the car to the front door he was nearly soaked. He unlocked the door and stepped inside kicking off his wet shoes, his drenched coat he threw across the banister of the staircase to dry.

He called out for Belle letting her know he was home and received a muffled greeting from upstairs; he then headed for the kitchen to put on the kettle. Gold stopped dead in his tracks as he walked through the sitting room and glimpsed a golden fuzz ball curled up in his chair.

Gold gritted his teeth upon seeing the unwelcomed visitor. He took a moment to quell his tempter before turning around to retrieve Belle.

"Belle, would you come here please?" He called up the stairs.

"What's the matter?" Belle appeared at the top wearing a bewildered expression.

"I believe I found something of yours." Gold raised a finger, motioning for her to join him. She quickly ran down and followed him into the sitting room. He stopped in the doorway, gesturing toward the cat. "Care to explain this?"

She had been looking all over for that cat. He'd gone exploring after Belle had brought him inside. Her plan was to conceal him before Rumple got home but that had obviously not worked out. Belle smiled at him innocently, "Now Rumple, don't get upset, but I couldn't leave Gold sitting out in this weather. I promise it's only for the night."

"Belle it's one thing to- what did you call him?" Mr. Gold stammered midsentence. Belle threw him a sheepish grin before repeating the name she had chosen for the cat, "Gold."

He scoffed, "Why on earth did you name it that? That's my name."

"No, your name is Rumplestiltskin. And I named him Gold because he is as determined as you are when he wants something, not to mention he's just as handsome." She reached up and kissed his cheek before dancing over to the kitchen.

"I don't care how bad the weather is, he belongs outside."

"I'm not sending him back out there tonight. He's staying here and that's final." Belle stated firmly as she filled the tea kettle.

"Would you at least remove him from the furniture?"

"If you want him to move, move him. I'm busy." Rumple remained standing in the doorway glaring at the creature who had stolen his name and his seat, imagining ways to destroy it. "Very well," Gold purred as he lifted his hand with the intention of sending the cat flying across the room.

Belle realized how he might construe her words not a moment too soon, "Not with magic though!" Rumple froze; he curled his fingers into a fist as he let his hand fall to his side. He walked around to the back of the chair and gripped the sides of it. Gold lifted his head to regard the human standing above him but was otherwise unfazed. Rumple gave the cat a polite smile before violently tipping the chair forward, dumping the feline on the floor. He chuckled to himself as it skittered into the kitchen when he took a menacing step forward.

"Rum, be nice." Belle warned as she brought in the tea. Mr. Gold brushed off the seat before sitting down. He dreaded to think how much cat fur would cover his trousers when he got up. "Sorry but I'm not a cat person dearie."

"Yes, I can see that, but you two will just have to try to get along until tomorrow. What's not to like about them anyway?"

Rumple took a sip of his beverage, watching the cat as it slunk back into the room. He eyed Rumple warily as he hopped into Belle's lap, purring happily as she petted him. "I don't trust them."

"Well Gold seems honest enough."

Rumple snorted, "That's saying a lot seeing as you named him after the least honest person in this town."

"I wouldn't say you're the least honest, what about Regina?" Belle giggled as the cat rolled over to let her rub his belly.

He contemplated her question but quickly decided to change the subject, "He's awful friendly for a stray. Belle, are you certain that he doesn't belong to anyone?"

"When he showed up he wasn't wearing any tags and appeared to not have been eating well. Why?"

He set down his cup and fixed Belle with a sympathetic look, "Belle you know we can't keep him. Tomorrow I'm going to go down to the animal shelter to see if anyone's reported a missing cat."

Her chipper mood was dampened by this news but at least he was looking out for the animal's well-being. Secretly she hoped that the cat had no owner so she could convince Rumple to let her keep him. It might take some time but Belle could be quite persuasive.

That night as they got ready for bed Gold made it clear that the cat was not allowed into their bedroom. He wanted to shut it in one of the other rooms so that he wouldn't get into any trouble while they were sleeping but Belle had talked him out of it assuring Rumple that the cat would be better off left to its own devices. As Belle began to crawl into bed Rumple noticed that she had left the door open.

"Go close it before he gets in here" he ordered, perhaps a little harsher than he meant to, "Please."

Belle rolled her eyes as she crossed the room. "Gold was asleep downstairs last I checked so there's no need to panic," she commented sardonically.

Rumple had only been sharing his room with Belle for a short while so he was still getting used to having another person beside him when he slept. When he wasn't in a deep sleep he was fairly self-conscious of his tossing and turning but when he let himself fall fast asleep he constantly hogged not only the covers but occasionally the whole bed.

On this particular night he was somewhere between light and deep sleep. At one point he tried turning over but some unknown mass sitting on top of the covers had him trapped. He grumbled a bit then gave up trying to reposition himself.

The unexplained weight eventually disappeared and Rumple was finally able to get comfortable. Rolling onto his side his face came unexpectedly landed on a mass of gold fur. Sputtering he sat up cursing the cat. Belle was awakened by the commotion. She hastily reached over and flicked on a light. She found Rumple using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth as Gold lie curled up on the edge of Rumple's pillow. Realizing what must have happened she tried to stifle her laughter.

"It's not funny," Rumple growled as he stared in loathing at the intrusive feline. "How did he get in here?"

Belle glanced at the door which was now cracked open. "I guess the door wasn't shut tight enough. He obviously figured out how to open it." She patted the cat's head, "Aren't you a clever little boy."

"Don't encourage him." He leaned back against the headboard still glaring at the cat which had gotten up to stretch. It then proceeded to knead the comforter. Rumple jumped as he felt Gold's claws pierce his skin through the fabric. "Ow! Quit that." Rumple swatted the cat away. "Belle please get him out of here," he whined.

"Alright," Belle sighed as she picked up the cat and set him outside the door. "Sorry but Rum doesn't appreciate the extra company." The cat watched her with a mournful expression, his wide yellow eyes pleading to be let in as she shut the door, making sure it was pulled tight this time.

Rumple settled back under the covers as Belle rejoined him, "Thank you sweetheart."

"Would it have hurt to let him stay?" There was a hint of annoyance in Belle's voice. He knew she was upset and needed a way to remedy the situation without digging himself into a deeper hole. Rumple quirked an eyebrow, "Well I don't want any competition do I?" He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. Belle let her anger dissolve, laughing she playfully pushed him away. "Go back to sleep."

It didn't take long for sleep to reclaim him but his rest was disrupted once again when a determined scratching provoked Rumple into consciousness. He peered into the darkness trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. Swearing under his breath, Gold realized it was the cat clawing at the bedroom door. Not wanting to disturb Belle, he carefully swung himself out of bed. Taking up his cane he stumbled his way over to the door and threw it open. The distressed cat sat innocently on the other side. Rumple used his foot to nudge Gold away from his room then shut the door again. Before he got half way across the room the scraping started again.

Cringing Rumple whirled around, furiously ripping the door open. "Knock it off!" he hissed. This time the cat wasted no time in slipping inside, brushing passed Rumple's leg as it made a beeline for the bed. It was becoming painfully obvious that the cat was not going to be easily discouraged so in order to put an end to these games Rumple decided he'd be better off sleeping in the guest room.

The next morning Belle rolled over expecting to find Rumple sound asleep beside her. She was surprised when her hand fell on a ball of silky fur instead of Rumplestiltskin's chest. "What- what did you do with Rum?"

Belle considered where he might have gone but it was unlikely that he had gotten up earlier than her since she was always the first one awake. She hopped of the bed and went to find Rumplestiltskin. On her way to check his study, Belle noticed that the guestroom door was standing open. Belle crept over and peaked in. She found Rumple's slumbering form sprawled across the small bed. The sight brought a smile to Belle's lips. Silently she slid in next to him, wrapping her slender arms around his middle and resting her head against his shoulder. She left a trail of gentle kisses along his jawline. Rumplestiltskin lazily opened his eyes and smirked at the woman next to him, "Hey."

"Morning," she beamed. "Did you decide you don't like sharing a room with me after all?" Belle inquired softly as she played with a few strands of his hair.

"Not with you, with the cat."

"Ah," Belle nodded as she sat up, "I see. So the all-powerful Dark One was outdone by a cat." Rumplestiltskin grunted, dismissing her statement as he turned over to go back to sleep. "Oh no you don't. Up, mister." Belle pulled him by the arm into a sitting position. Begrudgingly Rumple got out of bed and shuffled back to his own room to get dressed. He noted that Gold had disappeared from the bed and was nowhere to be seen.

When Mr. Gold entered the kitchen a half hour later Belle had found the cat and was busy teasing him with a bit of string. He watched as her face lit up every time the cat darted forward to attack the wiggling cord. Gold let her continue to amuse their visitor while he made breakfast.

Before he left for work Belle reminded him that he was going to stop by the animal shelter. He hadn't forgotten but he was shocked that she had bothered to remind him.

The shelter was a few blocks from his shop so he stopped there first. The volunteer working the desk didn't know what to make of the town terror coming into their place and stared open-mouthed for some seconds before remembering to speak. "Um good morning Mr. Gold. How may I help you?"

"I've had a yellow cat prowling around my house for several days now and I was wondering if anyone has reported a missing pet lately. He doesn't have a collar but he's too friendly to be just a stray." The volunteer asked him to wait while he checked the board of lost posters behind him. He pulled down two flyers each with photos of yellow cats. Gold's heart sank when he saw the face of Belle's furry companion staring back at him from the second poster.

"Either of these look familiar?"

"That one."

"Ok I will notify the owner and tell them where to find their cat." The volunteer smiled but Gold didn't return the gesture. He nodded and walked back to his car. Personally he wouldn't be sad to see the little devil go but he didn't know how Belle was going to handle losing him. Instead of going to the shop Gold went back home to break the news to her. Better sooner than later he thought.

Belle was surprised to see Rumple coming though the front door so soon. She assumed he'd forgotten something except the look on his face told her he was home for another reason. "What's wrong Rumple?"

He looked down at his hands resting atop his cane, "I stopped by the shelter and it turns out that Gold does have an owner. He's been missing for a couple months. The shelter said they would notify them so I don't know for sure when they will be coming by but…" Gold lifted his eyes to meet Belle's. He could tell she was fighting back tears. He'd known from the beginning how attached she was and that she would have found a way to convince him to let her keep it. "…I'm sorry, love."

Belle didn't know what was more heart breaking- Rumple's news or the genuine compassion for her in his words. Rumple may not have liked or got along with the cat but he had come to realize how much the animal meant to her. "It's okay; at least I know he has a good home and a family that loves him."

All Gold could do was nod in agreement and gather her into his arms to hold her.

Not long after Gold delivered the news the owners arrived on his doorstep. It was a mother her daughter who came to claim the golden feline. Rumple let Belle answer the door as he watched from a far. The little girl beamed as she was reunited with her lost pet and her mother vehemently thanked Belle for finding him. The whole exchange was over within a matter of minutes. As they left Belle waved goodbye, smiling at the reunited family. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes though.

He came to stand beside her at the front door and draped his arm around her shoulders. It was then he had an idea, one that would hopefully take Belle's mind off of her loss. "Come on, get your coat," Gold said, prompting Belle to frown at him.

"What? Why?"

Gold grinned mischievously, "I'm taking you out. I can't keep you hidden away here forever. It's time you got to know Storybrooke."

Belle squealed in delight, "You mean it?"

He nodded and before he could say another word she was racing up the stairs to find a jacket. When she returned Belle had a dozen places in mind that she wanted to see, starting with "Can we stop by the animal shelter?"

Not even ten minutes since the cat had gone and they were already back to having this discussion. The voice in his head screamed "No!" as Gold was about to give Belle a long list of reasons why they were not going to do that but in the end he simply replied, "We'll see."

Fin

**Reviews are always welcome!**


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